Treatment of gases for removing carbon monoxid therefrom and replacing it by hydrogen.



UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE. I it ERNST ELLENBLZZGER. OF BIEBRICH. GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO CHEMISOHE FABRIK GRIESHEIM-ELEKTRON, 0F FilANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY,-A CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

TREATMENT OF GASES IE'OR REMOVING CARBON MONO KID THEREFROM A NID REPL AC No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enxsr Ennnxnnnonn, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Biebricli-on-the-Rhine Germany, have invented certain new and usefullmrovements in the Treatment of Gases for \emoving Carbon Monoxitl Therefrom and Replacing It by IIytlrogen, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists in an improved process for freeing water gas, or other gases,

from carbon mon-oxid in an extremely simple and economical manner whereby a perfeet replacement of the carbon mon-orzid by hydrogen is efi'ectecl with very etlicient utilization of the reagents employed.

The process. according to this invention consists in passing the gases over heated calcium oxid, or heated calcium hydroxid, while steam is blown into the reaction chamber, the temperature being kept below the temperature of dissociation of calcium carbonate. Experiments have already shown that. when carbon mon-oxid is passed over calcinm hydroxid. the carbon mon-oxid dis- :lPltQtll'S and hydrogen is produced (see Bcriclttc der Dent. Chem. 628.1880 Vol. I, page but in these experiments. steam was noty -t over the calcium hydro'xid along with the gases. I ha vc found that the introduction of steam is absolutely necessary in practice because at the temperatures umlerwhich the reactions take place. a large portion of the water of the hydroxid is distilled usclessly, so that the calcium oxid, or calcium hydroxid, is very inetliciently utilized. I have also found that when steam is not introduced, although the. carbon mouoxid is at lirst replaced by hydrogc-n, after a short time the carbon zo uuxitl disappears without the production of the equivalent amount of hydrogen, because in consequence of the lacl; of water, carbon is separated as such in :u:cordance with the following equation:

CaO+2CO=CaCO +G The reaction given in the above named st-l zft 18-8 Vol. I page 718, namely:

la (OH) t-CO;Ca C(),-t-H takes place properly only when an excessof steam is-prescnt.

Specification of Letters Patent.

IT BY 11" EDRQGEN.

Patented Apr. 18,1911.

Application and December 10, 1909. Serial No. 532,410.

The operation may be considerably accelerated by the ad 'tixture of metal. apparently because this admixture facilitates the (lecomposition of water.

The following example will illustrate how this invention can be performed. \Vater gas containing 40 per cent. of carbon monoxid and ()9 per cent. of hydrogen and heated to about 500 centigrade, is passed, together with steam, in a suitable apparatus, (for instance, a retort with a stirring apparatus), over calcium oxid, or calcium i1 droxid. The carbon nion-oxid di appears and -alciuni carbonate is formed While, atthe same time, for each molecular proportion of carbon inon-oxid a molecular proportion of hydrogen is split oil from the steam,'as

well as from the. water which separates from the hydrate.

.. a c nsiderable amount of heat is evolved during the process, extraneous heating is not required after the process is started, there being indeed anexccss of heat l of ;-:'tl);)ll mon-oxid have over those hitherto inn-Wu are, firstly. that for each molecular it I a n in-Hons of hydrogen are obtained in accordance with the equat1ons:

C+H,()::( U+l l (water gas process) and whereas, according to the processes hcreinportion of carbon, two molecular =proa temperature below that of the dissociation of calcium carbonate over a heated calcium -15 compound in the presence ef'mctal and Si lnultaneonsly admitting steam to the reaction chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciticaiiun in the presence of :40

two subscribing witnesses.

ERR bT ELLENBERGER.

\Vitnesses HERMAN Pmscrmn, MAX Lncsomz. 

